


second child, restless child

by four (three)



Series: homegrown (a sleepy bois collection) [2]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Canon Compliant, Family Dynamics, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sibling Bonding, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Snowball Fight, actually real family but also found family, sleepy bois inc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:42:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28182591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/three/pseuds/four
Summary: title from the Oh HellosTechno wonders if you can love your replacement.
Relationships: Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade
Series: homegrown (a sleepy bois collection) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2064543
Comments: 2
Kudos: 171





	second child, restless child

Everyone leaves.

Techno knows it's not an original thought, but he also knows it to be true. He was left before he knew what leaving was. Before he had an idea of what was his and what it was to lose it. And is it so wrong of him to want to hold onto what's his? Phil is his. A father who chose him. For a time, Wilbur is his too. And then Tommy. Wilbur and Tommy love Phil because they were born to. Techno gets to love them by choice.

\--

Techno grapples Will to the ground again and grins when dirty hands claw back at him. There is fire in his eyes just for a moment before he goes limp. "You win." Every time they fight it lasts for a moment longer. Will is so soft.

Tommy is nothing like Will. It's the last-born, fastidious desire to be seen and loved, so similar to Techno's own. He wants to hate him for it. He wants to be enough for Phil.

\--

Alone, looking over the snow-covered palisades, Techno wonders if Tommy fills the void he once sought. The night is cold and bright in a way Techno knows is unique to the tundra. The dead eyes of mobs catch in the torch-light, glassy like ice. They plod along the perimeter and Techno grabs a fistful of snow, balling it up and throwing it. It flies into the face of a stray and explodes in a flurry.

His shadow is long and flutters as uneven light grows closer. Tommy will never learn subtlety, in this way they are different. His brother sets the lantern down on the snowbank. It's glow spills out across them both, turning their cloaks that bright arctic blue. Tommy sits down beside him and scrounges up his own snowball. He tosses it in a weak arc and it hits the border. Techno scoffs and copies him, his own flying true at an oblivious zombie. The furrow of Tommy's brow is determined as he throws again and again, striking the same spot on the fence. It would be a fantastic display of consistency if Techno didn't know better.

He waits for him to give up, for the fire to fade.

"Show me." Tommy says instead.

Tommy's ears are pinking and he lantern casts long shadows in his gaunt cheeks. Techno wonders when his little brother became so little.

"Alright." Techno grunts finally, and packs the snow tightly. Tommy watches squirrelishly, his blond hair white as the snow. He looks like a stray, boney and feral. His arm flies through the air, arcing and then snapping as he launches the snowball from his hand. Tommy hurries to copy him and his snowball makes it over the palisade, disappearing into the snowdrifts beyond. There's a harsh swear, then another and another. Nothing hits.

"Fucking christ, I swear you cheated. Must have some homing enchantment. You try-hard."

Techno's next snowball lands squarely in Tommy's face.

"Oi! Asshole!" His brother squawks, but Techno has already picked up the lantern and started trekking back to the house. "I'm talking to you, quit running away! Let me-"

And then it's Techno's turn to squawk as he's bowled over. He gets a mouthful of snow and twists as Tommy shoves him further into the ground.

"Ha! Not so tough now." Techno looks up at the manic grin, the way he's lit up. He hasn't seen that kind of light in a long time from Tommy. He wonders who took it. For a second he considers letting him win. He thinks of Wilbur, always yielding. Always compromising.

Techno pushes Tommy off and grabs a handful of snow to shove down his cloak for good measure. Tommy writhes indignantly, and chases him back home.

At the threshold, the chase is briefly abandoned in favour of shucking cloaks and gloves and boots in the stifling warmth. And then given up completely when they feel the crackling heat of the fire on their winter-tired faces. Tommy splays out on the floor, his fingertips touching each wall of the narrow room. Techno is hunched, eyes closed to the hearth.

"Tomorrow I want you to teach me for real."

"Okay."

**Author's Note:**

> let me know if you want more sbi content. my twitter is @moncuries :)  
> if you like ghostbur, check out my other fic, Warmth


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